By Don Lowe
It was no small task to construct mountain biking trails from scratch but that’s what Frank Halsey of Fort Scott, Kansas, and several others did from 2009 to 2013 when they used their own bare hands to develop a desirable destination riders now enjoy every day in this Southeast Kansas community.
Reflecting on the physical, labor-intensive work it took, especially early on, Frank says, “When I first started building it by myself, I used a rake, shovel, machete and limb saw. I didn’t know what I didn’t know and made mistakes.
“When other volunteers got involved to help, and after I had attended a couple of International Mountain Biking Association trail-building seminars, then chainsaws and weed eaters became the most valuable tools. Our trails are all hand-built.”
Speaking from his own personal preference, Frank says, “Over the past 20 years or so, many mountain bike trails have been built with machinery, particularly in Northwest Arkansas, but hand-cut trails are still a favorite of many people.”
When it comes to the much-needed instrumental involvement of others who helped bring this to fruition, he says, “After some initial convincing, the city of Fort Scott became very supportive.
“Although their budget did not provide much in labor and monetary resources, Fort Scott helped by allowing the use of Gunn Park, as well as the amenities, and occasionally some equipment. Our biggest supporters have been local merchants and organizations, and particularly the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team.”
Interestingly, this entire adventure for Frank started for him about two decades ago while dealing with a leg injury. “In 2007, when I was 48 years old, I had arthroscopic knee surgery to clean up my left meniscus. My orthopedic doctor, Greg King, told me I had bone on bone in my left knee and shouldn’t be jogging.
“Dr. King suggested I get a bike. I had an old rigid mountain bike I’d bought at Sears in 1991. I started riding some to stay in shape. Occasionally, I would go off road around a crop field or pasture.”
Fast forward about two years after that, in 2009, Frank says, “I had my bike with me in a neighboring town that had a small section of mountain bike trails through an area of strip pits. I went riding on those trails and had a blast. It gave me an adrenaline rush I hadn’t felt in years.
“The next week, I was riding through Gunn Park. It’s a beautiful park surrounded by timber, and there’s a river close by. It’s just a few blocks from my house. There was a little ground cover with the thick foliage, and I figured it would be easy to build my own trails.”
That’s exactly what he did. “I used a machete, a rake, a pair of loppers and a shovel. In just a few months, I’d created about 11⁄2 miles of what I called a ‘single track.’
“I would ride around and around on this small trail, and occasionally I’d build a small connector trail that looked like fun. I enjoyed the building as much as the riding.”
In late 2009/early 2010, Frank began facing various obstacles with this adventure but remained persistent at every detour. Along with the new Fort Scott city manager, Dave Martin, who backed him, things came together in early 2011 that helped pave the way for a trail that stretched about eight miles.
“We’ve hosted a mountain bike race called the Marmaton Massacre Festival (MMF) for more than 10 years. Most recently, we’ve hosted the Kansas National Interscholastic Cycling Association league, which is 6th-12th graders. We mostly provide the trails and some volunteers, while they manage the race.
“The MMF is a weekend event that attracts lots of riders of all ages and skill levels, including quite a few professionals, from throughout the Midwest region (of the U.S.).”
Depending on the event, there are wide- ranging options for riders and Frank says, “Participants compete at their own comfort level with beginner, intermediate and expert groups, as well as various distances.
“Beginners (Category 3) do one loop, which is around eight miles. Intermediates (Category 2) do two full loops, and experts, or professionals (Category 1) do three full loops, which is about 24 miles. Each category is divided into age groups. The size of groups varies but surprisingly there are typically quite a few riders in the 50-plus age group.”
Gunn Park Trails bring out a lot of local mountain bikers and visitors from around the U.S. Frank says, “Riders are mostly from Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma but we’ve had participants from Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin.”
It’s not just about bike riding, and Frank says, “We’ve hosted trail runs and our popular Tri- Yak-A-Thon, where participants run a 5K on the trails, then kayak a 5K on the river that runs through the park, and finish with a 10K ride on the trails. This event can be done solo or as a relay team. It’s a lot of fun and attracts different types of athletes.”
As for what makes this specific location appealing, he says, “Gunn Park is a special place that provides a great venue for the mountain biking community to celebrate their passion. They are a unique group with lots of good people who gather to do something they love with others. It’s hard and challenging, but it’s fun.”
Frank takes great pride in what this has become and says, “I think I’m most proud when I encounter riders from out of town on our trails. Knowing that I’ve played a small part in bringing those people to our awesome community is special.
“I’m proud we’ve managed to build and maintain almost 81⁄2 miles of trails for about 15 years and done it just with volunteers. It’s a lot of work and I handle the bulk of the maintenance. But when I need help, I can count on others from the community to step up and help, even those who don’t ride.”
It’s all about teamwork when it comes to the upkeep, and Frank says, “There are also groups that get together. Just recently, we had a group of 8th grade volunteers from Fort Scott Christian Heights school that helped for half a day, and boys from St. Martin’s Academy often volunteer as well.”
Halsey wasn’t out to gain notoriety when he started this mission and says, “I’ve received more accolades for this project than I probably deserve because I started these trails and continue to help maintain them for selfish reasons. I just wanted some place locally to ride.”
Frank Halsey/Gunn Park Mountain Biking Trails Fast Facts
Meet Frank Halsey: Retired president and chairman of the board for Mid- Continental Restoration Company, Inc.
Gunn Park Physical Address: 1010 Park Ave., Fort Scott, Kansas Phone Number: 620.223.0550
Website: https://fortscott.com/list/ member/gunn-park-2464
Features: Eight miles of trails for mountain biking/hiking that Mr. Halsey spearheaded in building